Bridge-plate and fastening for rail-joints.



PATENTED MAY 10.1904.

APPLIOAT ION FILED MAR. 6. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

mz NORRIS PEIEI ca, PNOlD-LIYND.. WASHINGTU UNITED STATEs Patented May10, 1904. 4

SAMUEL 0. BALL, OF EST PULLMAN, lLLiNOIS.

BRIDGE-PLATE AND FASTENING FOR RAIL-JOINTS.

SPECIFICATION forming.v part of Letters Patent No. 759,654, dated May10, 1904.

Application filed March 6, 1902. Serial No. 96,911. (No medal.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. BALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at est Pullman, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridge-Plates andFastenings for Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for fastening and suiiporting railwayrails at their juncture or joints, and it is moreespecially adapted for said joints when they are located between thecross-ties; and it consists in certain peculiarities of theconstruction, novel arrangement, and operation of the various partsthereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specificallyclaimed.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a bridge-plate andfastening for railjoints which shall be simple and inexpensive inconstruction, strong, durable, and effective in operation, and by meansof which the rails will be prevented from spreading and will also bestrongly supported at their ends between the cross-ties on which theyrest.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastening device for thebolts employed for uniting the rails, fish-plates, or anglebars, so thatsaid bolts will not become loose or the nuts thereon require tightening.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be described in thesubjoined description and explanation.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains to make and use the same, 1 will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanying drawings, in whi.ch-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rail-joint to which my invention isapplied, showing the outer surface of the rails. Fig. 2 is a top planview of the bridge-plate. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. lis an end view of said plate. View taken on line 5 5v of Fig. 2 lookingin the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectionalView of one of the rails, showing my bridge-plate and fastening appliedthereto; and Fig. 7 is a detached per- Fig. 5 is a cross-sectionalspective view of the inner surface of the springplate or fastening.

7 Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views ofthe drawings.

A and A represent portions of two railwayrails with their ends meeting01' joined between the cross-ties B, on which they rest and to which mybridge-plate O is secured. This plate comprises a piece which is mainlyflat, but has at each of its ends on that edge thereof which will belocated when in place under the rails on the outer surface of said railswith a flange 0, which is upwardly and inwardly turned to receive theouter portion a of the base of the rails. The central portion of eachedge of the plate 0 is inwardly and downwardly bent to form flanges c tostrengthen said portion of the plate, and thereby afford a truss-likesupport for the rail-joint, which will be located directly over saidflanges, and as they present their edges vertically to the rails it isapparent that the strength of the plate will be greatly augmented.

The outer edge of the plate C is provided at the inner end of each ofthe upturned flanges 0 with downturned spurs 0 and the inner edge ofsaid plate is provided at its ends with downtnrned spurs 0 all of whichare to be driven into the ties B, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings. Near each of these spurs the plate is provided with openings0* for the reception of the ordinary ail-spikes used for additionallysecuring the plate to the cross-ties. Located on the inner surface ofthe rails is an angle-bar 7) of the usual construction, which isprovided with openings to receive bolts 6", which pass through suitableopenings in the rails and in the fish-plate (Z, which is located on theouter surface of the rails across their joints or that surface there ofopposite the side of the rails on which the flanges of the car-wheelstravel. Located on the outer surface of the iishplate (Z and across thejoint of the rails is a spring plate or bar I), which has on its innersurface a series of projections CZ, usually V-shaped, as is clearlyshown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, and which projections are preferablyformed at the upper and lower edges of said plate or bar,

but may extend entirely across the same, if desired. Between theseprojections the bar or plate D is provided with openings (Z for thebolts 5, which bolts have on their outer ends heads 6 to rest on theouter surface of the plate or bar E, which is located on the outersurface of the spring plate or bar D,as is clearly shown in Fig. l ofthe drawings; The opposite ends of the bolts 5 may be provided with nuts6 of the ordinary or any preferred kind. By employing the spring plateor bar D it is apparent that the projections d thereon will hold theplate between said projections at a distance from the fish-plate (Z, andthus afiord springs for the bolts and furnishing pressure against thenuts thereon, thus acting automatically in case of wear or incontraction and expansion incident to the change of temperature.

In applying my bridge-plate and fastening to the joints of rails theplate 0 is placed on the cross-ties B so that the downwardly-extendingflanges 0' will project therebetween and the upturned flanges 0 willengage the outerportion of the base a of the rails. \Vhen thus placed,the plate may be secured to the ties by driving the spurs or points 0and therein and by means of spikes passed through the openings 0* in theplate.

By the use of my plate it is evident that therails will be preventedspreading outwardly and that they will be strongly supported at theirjoint by reason of the truss-like structure of the bridge-plate, and itis further apparent that the spring-plate D will afford a resilientfastening for the bolts, as has been above set forth.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a bridge-plate and fastening for rail-' joints, the combinationwith the rails having openings therein, of a bar located on each sidethereof, a spring-plate having a series of inwardly-extendingprojections located on the outer surface of the bar on the outer surfaceof the rails, bolts extending through openings in said plate, bars andrails, and a bridgeplate located under the rails and having upturnedflanges on its outer edge to engage the outer portions of the base ofthe rails, and downturned flanges on the middle portion of its edges,and downturned spurs near its corners, substantially as described.

2. A bridge-plate comprising a piece having upturned andinwardly-extending flanges at its outer edge and downturned flanges atthe middle portion of its edges and downturned spurs near its corners,substantially as described.

SAMUEL 0. BALL. Vitnesses:

CHAS. O. TlLLMAN, A. GUSTAFSON.

